Tales of a Foreign Service Family

toddler transitions

Flynn’s been at his new Mexican preschool for about a month now, and according to him, he still has no friends. Every few days he’ll come home and tell us he learned a new boy or girl’s name.

“Oh, is that your new friend?” we’ll ask.

“No,” he’ll say.

“But how did you learn his name?” we’ll ask. “Did he play with you?”

“No,” he’ll tell us again. “I need to learn Spanish first. Then he’ll be my friend and play with me.”

“Did he tell you that?” we’ll ask.

“No,” he’ll reply. “I just know it myself.”

It’s kind of heartbreaking, right? We ended up sending him to a bilingual preschool in the hopes of easing this transition, but it seems that only the teacher knows English. The kids are all there because their parents want them to learn it, but they don’t speak any yet. I don’t think anyone’s being mean to Flynn. And I don’t think he’s unhappy. Every day we ask him if he likes school and whether he wants to go back, and to those questions we always get an emphatic yes.

But still, I hope he makes some friends soon. Or picks up more Spanish. Actually, both.

4 Responses to toddler transitions

I can empathize completely, and reassure you that if he’s happy it’s all good. It took a good long while for Alex to make friends when she started at the Russian preschool – her natural shyness didn’t help the situation. But, I can tell you that she did indeed make good friends, whom she still misses now more than a year later.

Awww, it’s so hard to hear your kid say the kids won’t play with him. Max used to say that in India sometimes. I don’t think it was true, or at least not according to his teachers but still… I know he will find friends and have unforgettable moments in Mexico, hang in there until then.

Thanks everyone! Yeah, thankfully he is still wanting to go. I’m not sure if I’d have the heart to send him back otherwise. It’s definitely part of the process, as you all say, and what makes FS kids adaptable and resilient in the long run in my opinion. Fingers crossed it passes soon!

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